Today we’d like to introduce you to Deovani Jean.
Hi Deovani, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a creative, and I’ve always wanted more out of life—even as a kid. But truthfully, I didn’t recognize myself as a creative until more recently. Growing up, I let other people shape my perspective and my beliefs, and that really detached me from who I was and what I wanted. It left me feeling sad and unfulfilled. For a long time, I felt lost—but even then, I always had this gift: I could create joy for myself and the people around me, even in the darkest moments. That joy, paired with this fire in my chest to do everything people say I can’t, is what’s brought me here. Maybe it’s just a rebel rockstar spirit in me—I don’t fully know—but my intuition tells me to follow it, and I always do.
That spirit led me to social media—mainly TikTok and Instagram—between the ages of 17 and 20. I started posting fit pics, getting in front of the camera, and experimenting with my style. That was a huge shift for me because, for so long, I was that shy kid who thought social media was lame. But deep down, I was just scared of being perceived. Over time, sharing those looks and watching other creatives online pulled me deeper into fashion. I’d always admired it, but I didn’t fully understand it, especially not on a cultural level. I started learning—seeing people sew, discovering designers and stylists like Law Roach—and it started to click.
A few months into that job, I got badly burned by hot oil. It spilled on my ankles, and I even slipped and got some on my back. I ended up in the hospital with pig skin grafts for the scars. It was a tough time, but I was still taking fit pics even while I was supposed to be recovering at home. That moment really shifted things for me. I decided to apply to SCAD Atlanta. I called it my dream school, but if I’m being honest, it wasn’t a lifelong dream—I just wanted the best, and that was the best art school in my city. I didn’t have the grades or background for it. I just had heart—and that’s really been the through line of my whole journey. I wrote a personal article, pulled some professional recommendations together (shout out to my sister’s mother-in-law at the time), applied, and somehow…I got in. The lawsuit settlement from my injury funded my first year.
I did well for a while, but eventually, I started to burn out—like I always do in traditional school settings. Something about not getting a regular check made it hard to stay motivated. I dropped out in my second year, but I made real connections that still fuel my work today. Around that time, I also got the idea to start a brand: Deovani Diamant. That was my first taste of entrepreneurship.
While building the brand, I got a job at Zara. I was sewing custom pieces for coworkers and starting to model, since photographers at SCAD started to notice me through mutuals. I even designed a logo and began developing the whole brand identity. I brought friends together, held meetings—it was real. At the same time, I rose through the ranks at Zara and became a Visual Merchandiser. Eventually, though, I hit a wall. The work environment didn’t sit right with me, especially after seeing how some of my coworkers were being treated. I couldn’t give more of myself to a company that didn’t value me or them.
Still, I left Zara with a gift—visual merchandising. I’d fallen in love with styling mannequins and had met so many people in the fashion space during my shifts. I quit with no backup plan, just faith in myself and a deep need to prove my manager—who said I’d be nothing without Zara—wrong.
After that, I floated a bit. I ended up selling gutter protection at Lowe’s just to get by. It sounds random, but that job actually helped me a lot. It taught me how to speak to people, how to take rejection, and how to keep showing up. That courage pushed me to reach back out to a woman I met at Zara—Angela. I’d texted her a few times with no response, but this time, I called. To my shock, she answered. That call changed everything.
Around the same time, I applied to work with a local publication called 77 Magazine. Through Angela, I started working with ATLFW, I was styling through the magazine, and bridging the two to boost media coverage and credibility on both sides. Despite not being paid, I found the motivation because I knew—deep down—this really meant something. I was in the room. And I knew being in the room was bigger than a check. It was about showing up for the version of me I’d been dreaming of becoming.
Funny enough, though, my first styling gig actually happened earlier—in early 2024, right after I left Zara. I styled a friend to go out to the club, and we posted it. Nothing major. But a week or two later, I styled another friend for a shoot, and that turned into my first editorial. Still one of my favorite shoots I’ve done to this day.
Since then, I’ve continued styling, but now I don’t take every job that comes my way. I’ve become more intentional. Deovani Diamant is on pause for now—I’m waiting until I have the right resources to bring it back properly. My focus now is on starting a creative agency. But it’s also so much more than just an agency—there are layers to this vision. The LLC is already filed, so we’re a step ahead of where I was last time.
This time, I’m building something that can really hold the weight of my dreams.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think I’ve learned by now that life really does come in waves. Balance is inevitable—the good will come, but so will the bad. It’s all about perspective. I’ve dealt with financial struggles, mental health challenges, anxiety, injury, and navigating complicated relationships—all while trying to hold space for myself. Still trying to find time to rest, to do the things I enjoy that don’t necessarily come with a payoff, but are valuable to my being and my peace of mind.
And on top of that, there were always people telling me to have a backup plan. Telling me it simply wouldn’t work. All while I was between 17 and 22—still figuring out how I perceive the world. You’re taught to listen to adults, to your elders. But how do you know when to listen to yourself instead? How do you separate their fear—based on their own experiences and losses—from your own vision? It’s layered. It’s complex. And I’ve had to unpack it all and decide what holds meaning for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets me apart is that I’m unafraid to acknowledge my shadows—and present them to a crowded room. I’m not scared to speak on the demons I’ve faced or to revisit them if it means helping someone else find their way out of their own hellscape. That vulnerability is the core of my artistry.
I’m more than a stylist, more than a creative director, model, or TikToker. I’m a son, a brother, an uncle. I’m deeply insecure at times. I get angry and say things I shouldn’t. I get confused, unsure of which path is right or wrong. But even with all of that, I carry an unshakeable confidence—one that doesn’t just balance the scales, but often tips them in my favor. I use that confidence to lead. To guide others and myself through the darkest of nights. I pour all of my happiness, sorrow, love, and curiosity for life into everything I touch—every project, every word, every step.
It’s my soul. It’s my faith. It’s the invisible divine connection we all share, the thing that gives us the power to create—whether it’s a conversation, a relationship, a piece of art, or a simple shift in perspective. And perspective? I have plenty of it. Enough to share, enough to protect, enough to be.
I speak to something deep within others—something felt in the body. It starts in the pineal gland, moves down the spine, through the gut, and to the bottoms of the feet. I can make it silly, I can make it heavy, I can shape it into whatever picture needs to be painted. If the frequency isn’t right, I can attune myself. I can pull you in like magnetism. That’s my gift. I’m truly formless.
BUT IF WE’RE TALKING SPECIFICS— I style. I curate. I direct. I ideate. I write. I outsource. I speak. I sketch. I do the work and the vision.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Believe in yourself—truly and fully. The world will try to convince you to run from certain people, places, and things. It’ll tell you to abandon your dreams, to settle for what’s easy and familiar. But for me, that was never an option. I knew I’d be haunted if I gave up on my goals.
Every time I’ve taken a leap of faith, I’ve found myself drawn back to long-lost dreams, creating full-circle moments that have helped heal my inner child. I feel the pressure—and I welcome it. My father always said he gave me the middle name Diamond for a reason.
Pricing:
- Editorial Styling – WORK IN PROGRESS
- Event Styling – WORK IN PROGRESS
- Creative Direction & Production – WORK IN PROGRESS
- Talent Management – WORK IN PROGRESS
- Creative Consulting – WORK IN PROGRESS
Contact Info:
- Website: WORK IN PROGRESS
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deovni/profilecard/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deovanijean
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/agency11.11
Image Credits
IMAGES SHOT BY
WISDOM TIFF @wisdom.tiff
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RACHEL TOMSCHE @tomschephoto
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HALAHNA SEWER @halahna.imgs
